Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Accepting of a situation: "resigned" describes a state of being passively accepting something unpleasant or difficult that cannot be changed. It implies a sense of submission or surrender without active resistance.
   • Characterized by submission: Often used to describe a person's attitude or demeanor when they have given up hope of improvement and accept circumstances as they are.

Usage Examples

• (She accepted the delay without complaint, showing submission.)
• (He accepted the unpleasant truth without further struggle.)
• (The patient's face showed passive acceptance of bad news.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be resigned to one's fate": to accept that one's destiny or outcome is unavoidable and stop resisting.

  • After many failed attempts, he became resigned to his fate as an unsuccessful inventor. (He accepted his lack of success without further effort.)

• "resigned acceptance": the state of calmly and passively agreeing to something undesirable.

  • The villagers showed resigned acceptance of the new tax laws. (They did not protest but quietly complied.)

Variants and Related Words

• Resignation (n): the act or state of resigning from a job or position, or the feeling of accepting something unpleasant.

  • His resignation from the company was unexpected. (He formally left his job.)
  • She felt a deep resignation about the political situation. (She accepted it passively.)

• Resign (v): to voluntarily leave a job or position; also, to accept something reluctantly.

  • He decided to resign from his post. (He left his job.)
  • She resigned herself to the long wait. (She accepted the wait without complaint.)

Synonyms

• Acquiescent: ready to accept something without protest.
• Submissive: yielding to authority or control.
• Compliant: willing to obey or agree.
• Defeated: having lost hope or spirit.

Related Idioms

• "Throw in the towel": to give up or admit defeat.

  • After losing three matches, he threw in the towel. (He gave up.)

• "Bite the bullet": to accept a difficult situation with courage and resignation.

  • She bit the bullet and apologized for her mistake. (She accepted the unpleasant task.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Resign oneself to: to accept something unpleasant that cannot be changed.
  • She resigned herself to living alone after her husband died. (She accepted the new reality.)